China denies aluminium exports evading U.S. duties (Reuters Africa – September 14, 2016)

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SHANGHAI, Sept 14 (Reuters) – A Chinese industry group has denied that the country’s aluminium producers could be involved in exporting extrusion products via Mexico to circumvent U.S. duties, in the latest sign of bubbling trade tensions between the two nations.

A report by the Wall Street Journal last week cited U.S aluminium executives contending that some $2 billion worth of Chinese metal products had been stockpiled in Mexico as part of a scheme to re-export to the United States, which imposes heavy duties on Chinese products.

The newspaper said a total of 1 million tonnes of aluminium products were previously spotted by a pilot commissioned by a U.S. aluminium executive to fly over a factory in Mexico.

The China Non-ferrous Metals Fabrication Industrial Association said in its newspaper that it was impossible to identify the amount stockpiled from a plane and that U.S. duty of 15 percent made it impossible for Chinese producers to export primary aluminium to the country.

“China’s aluminium processing industry opposes unfair competition and trade disputes triggered by any excuse. We are outraged by the condemnation of Chinese firms that lacks foundation and is based on distorted facts and subjective imagination,” it said.

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